Automated deal guide user interface

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for generating a promotion structure. The method includes receiving an indication of a service offered by a merchant and presenting one or more tiles based on one or more promotion option structures, wherein each tile includes at least one option and a descriptor associated with each included option. The method further includes receiving one or more selections, and generating, by a processor, the promotion structure based on the received one or more selections. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for programmatically generating a promotion configured for automated approval from a promotion and marketing service via a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input, prompt access to a server that is configured to perform a series of determinations based on the received input and provide particular options back to the GUI, and present the particular options as selectable tiles, the method comprising:
 providing a first graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input; 
 receiving information indicative of a service offered by a merchant; 
 providing the information indicative of the service offered by the merchant to a server; 
 causing the server to access a corpus of promotion options generated from a structure database, the structure database comprising (1) one or more promotion options, (2) one or more promotion option structures, and (3) one or more promotion structures, and a historical database comprising historical information regarding an efficacy of previously offered promotions, 
 wherein each promotion structure comprises a combination of a subset of the one or more promotion option structures, 
 wherein each promotion option structure corresponds to one or more of the promotion options, and 
 wherein each promotion option comprises text indicative of a title and one or more subtitles, and is associated with at least one service, 
 wherein each promotion option structure excludes text and is associated to a same underlying information as an associated promotion option, 
 wherein the promotion option structure is comprised of a series of components that are equivalent to one or more various features of an associated promotion option, 
 wherein a component comprises a term or phrase that is equivalent to a grouping of features, each component representing an actual concept, which, when using natural language, is described as using or otherwise relating to a large variety of different terms or phrases, each component associated with a grouping of features identified as having an equivalent meaning in a given context, 
 wherein the promotion option structure corresponds to multiple promotion options, such that at least two promotion options present a same concept to a user, despite using distinct language, 
 wherein no two promotion option structures present the same concept; 
 causing the server to retrieve, from the structure database, one or more promotion option structures associated with the service offered by the merchant, 
 providing, via the first GUI, a plurality of tiles, each of the plurality of tiles being distinct and configured to be selected, wherein each of the plurality of tiles are based on the retrieved one or more promotion option structures, 
 wherein each tile includes at least one option and the descriptor associated with each included option, 
 wherein each of the one or more tiles is generated using term equivalencies identified for normalization and feature extraction and the region, peer-group, and market-segments in which specific terms are most frequently used, 
 wherein presenting the one or more tiles includes:
 determining, via the server, a price band, a value band, and a discount band derived from the one or more promotion option structures, each corresponding, respectively, to prices, values, and discounts associated with previously offered, successful, promotion options; 
 presenting, on the first GUI, an indication of the price band, the value band, and the discount band; and 
 enabling editing of the descriptor associated with each of the plurality of tiles, by presenting a list of available selections for modifying the descriptor; 
 
 receiving one or more tile selections via the GUI; 
 receiving input regarding price, value, and discount, via the GUI; 
 in an instance in which the selected price, value and discount fall within the presented range of the price band, the value band, and the discount band, receiving automated approval to generate the promotion structure; 
 in an instance in which the promotion structure receives automated approval, providing a window within the GUI configured to display the pre-approval display via the promotion and marketing service; and 
 in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy automatic approval requirements, providing a window within the GUI configured to display the a lack of approval and one or more particular options failing to satisfy the band and indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more promotion option structures upon which the one or more tiles are based comprise promotion option structures for which the price bands, the value bands, and the discount bands exceed predetermined thresholds. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to edit a descriptor associated with an option included in the tile; 
 presenting a list of available selections for modifying the descriptor; 
 receiving a selection of one of the available selections; and 
 presenting the one or more tiles, wherein the descriptor for which the request was received is replaced with the selected descriptor. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving one or more selections comprises receiving selection of one or more of the presented tiles. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving one or more selections comprises receiving information identifying a custom promotion option structure. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the promotion structure based on the selection comprises:
 receiving selection of a price, a value, and a margin associated with each selected tile; 
 generating a corresponding promotion structure, the corresponding promotion structure including fine print associated with descriptors of the selected tile; and 
 storing the generated promotion structure. 
 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for generating a promotion configured for automated approval from a promotion and marketing service via a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input, prompt access to a server that is configured to perform a series of determinations based on the received input and provide particular options back to the GUI, and present the particular options as selectable tiles, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to:
 provide a first graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input; 
 receive information indicative of a service offered by a merchant; 
 provide the information indicative of the service offered by the merchant to a server; 
 causing the server to access a corpus of promotion options generated from a structure database, the structure database comprising (1) one or more promotion options, (2) one or more promotion option structures, and (3) one or more promotion structures, and a historical database comprising historical information regarding an efficacy of previously offered promotions, 
 wherein each promotion structure comprises a combination of a subset of the one or more promotion option structures, 
 wherein each promotion option structure corresponds to one or more of the promotion options, and 
 wherein each promotion option comprises text indicative of a title and one or more subtitles, and is associated with at least one service, 
 wherein each promotion option structure excludes text and is associated to a same underlying information as an associated promotion option, 
 wherein the promotion option structure is comprised of a series of components that are equivalent to one or more various features of an associated promotion option, 
 wherein a component comprises a term or phrase that is equivalent to a grouping of features, each component representing an actual concept, which, when using natural language, is described as using or otherwise relating to a large variety of different terms or phrases, each component associated with a grouping of features identified as having an equivalent meaning in a given context, 
 wherein the promotion option structure corresponds to multiple promotion options, such that at least two promotion options present a same concept to a user, despite using distinct language, 
 wherein no two promotion option structures present the same concept; 
 receive an indication of a service offered by a merchant; 
 causing the server to retrieve, from the structure database, one or more promotion option structures associated with the service offered by the merchant, 
 provide, via the first GUI, a plurality of tiles, each of the plurality of tiles being distinct and configured to be selected, wherein each of the plurality of tiles are based on the retrieved one or more promotion option structures, wherein each tile includes at least one option and a descriptor associated with each included option, wherein each of the one or more tiles is generated using term equivalencies identified for normalization and feature extraction and the region, peer-group, and market-segments in which specific terms are most frequently used, 
 wherein presenting the one or more tiles includes determining, via the server, a price band, a value band, and a discount band derived from the one or more promotion option structures, each corresponding, respectively, to prices, values, and discounts associated with previously offered, successful, promotion options; presenting, on the first GUI, an indication of the price band, the value band, and the discount band; and enabling editing of the descriptor associated with each of the plurality of tiles, by presenting a list of available selections for modifying the descriptor; 
 receive, via the GUI, one or more tile selections from the merchant; 
 receive, via the GUI, input regarding price, value, and discount; 
 in an instance in which the selected price, value and discount fall within the presented rage of the price band, the value band, and the discount band, receive automated approval to generate the promotion structure; 
 in an instance in which the promotion structure receives automated approval, provide a window within the GUI configured to display the pre-approval display via the promotion and marketing service; and 
 in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy automatic approval requirements, provide a window within the GUI configured to display the a lack of approval and one or more particular options failing to satisfy the band and indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more promotion option structures upon which the one or more tiles are based comprise promotion option structures for which the price bands, the value bands, and the discount bands exceed predetermined thresholds. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 receive a request to edit a descriptor associated with an option included in the tile; 
 present a list of available selections for modifying the descriptor; 
 receive a selection of one of the available selections; and 
 present the one or more tiles, wherein the descriptor for which the request was received is replaced with the selected descriptor. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein receiving one or more selections comprises receiving selection of one or more of the presented tiles. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein receiving one or more selections comprises receiving information identifying a custom promotion option structure. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein generating the promotion structure based on the selection comprises:
 receiving selection of a price, a value, and a margin associated with each selected tile; 
 generating a corresponding promotion structure, the corresponding promotion structure including fine print associated with descriptors of the selected tile; and 
 storing the generated promotion structure. 
 
     
     
       13. A computer program product for generating a promotion configured for automated approval from a promotion and marketing service via a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input, prompt access to a server that is configured to perform a series of determinations based on the received input and provide particular options back to the GUI, and present the particular options as selectable tiles, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to:
 provide a first graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input; 
 receive information indicative of a service offered by a merchant; 
 provide the information indicative of the service offered by the merchant to a server; 
 causing the server to access a corpus of promotion options generated from a structure database, the structure database comprising (1) one or more promotion options, (2) one or more promotion option structures, and (3) one or more promotion structures, and a historical database comprising historical information regarding an efficacy of previously offered promotions, 
 wherein each promotion structure comprises a combination of a subset of the one or more promotion option structures, 
 wherein each promotion option structure corresponds to one or more of the promotion options, and 
 wherein each promotion option comprises text indicative of a title and one or more subtitles, and is associated with at least one service, 
 wherein each promotion option structure excludes text and is associated to a same underlying information as an associated promotion option, 
 wherein the promotion option structure is comprised of a series of components that are equivalent to one or more various features of an associated promotion option, 
 wherein a component comprises a term or phrase that is equivalent to a grouping of features, each component representing an actual concept, which, when using natural language, is described as using or otherwise relating to a large variety of different terms or phrases, each component associated with a grouping of features identified as having an equivalent meaning in a given context, 
 wherein the promotion option structure corresponds to multiple promotion options, such that at least two promotion options present a same concept to a user, despite using distinct language, 
 wherein no two promotion option structures present the same concept; 
 causing the server to retrieve, from the structure database, one or more promotion option structures associated with the service offered by the merchant; 
 provide, via the first GUI, a plurality of tiles, each of the plurality of tiles being distinct and configured to be selected, wherein each of the plurality of tiles are based on the retrieved one or more promotion option structures, wherein each tile includes at least one option and a descriptor associated with each included option, 
 wherein each of the one or more tiles is generated using term equivalencies identified for normalization and feature extraction and the region, peer-group, and market-segments in which specific terms are most frequently used, 
 wherein presenting the one or more tiles includes determining, via the server, a price band, a value band, and a discount band derived from the one or more promotion option structures, each corresponding, respectively, to prices, values, and discounts associated with previously offered, successful, promotion options; presenting, on the first GUI, an indication of the price band, the value band, and the discount band; and enabling editing of the descriptor associated with each of the plurality of tiles, by presenting a list of available selections for modifying the descriptor; 
 receive, via the first GUI, one or more selections from the merchant; 
 receive input, via the GUI, regarding price, value, and discount; 
 in an instance in which the selected price, value and discount fall within the presented rage of the price band, the value band, and the discount band, receiving automated approval to generate the promotion structure; 
 in an instance in which the promotion structure satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approve the promotion structure and providing a window within the GUI configured to display the pre-approval display via the promotion and marketing service; and 
 in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, provide a window within the GUI configured to display the a lack of approval and one or more particular options failing to satisfy the band and indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more promotion option structures upon which the one or more tiles are based comprise promotion option structures for which the price bands, the value bands, and the discount bands exceed predetermined thresholds. 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the computer program code, when executed by the apparatus, further causes the apparatus to:
 receiving a request to edit a descriptor associated with an option included in the tile; 
 presenting a list of available selections for modifying the descriptor; 
 receiving a selection of one of the available selections; and 
 presenting the one or more tiles, wherein the descriptor for which the request was received is replaced with the selected descriptor. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein receiving one or more selections comprises receiving selection of one or more of the presented tiles. 
     
     
       17. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein receiving one or more selections comprises receiving information identifying a custom promotion option structure. 
     
     
       18. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein generating the promotion structure based on the selection comprises:
 receiving selection of a price, a value, and a margin associated with each selected tile; 
 generating a corresponding promotion structure, the corresponding promotion structure including fine print associated with descriptors of the selected tile; and 
 storing the generated promotion structure.